Contemplating Reincarnation
The other day, My Dad used the cliché, “You only live once.” While I understand he was implying that I should make the most out of my life, I don’t believe we live only one life. I agree that we only live once in THIS body. But I believe our soul lives through many lifetimes in different bodies. I believe in reincarnation which is the return of the soul to the physical plane, in a new human body.
Our soul begins with an idea or illusion of separation from Source (or God) and our ultimate goal, throughout these lives, is the rediscovering of our connection to Source. It takes many lifetimes. We are all somewhere on this multi-life journey toward reconnection to Source. You may be thinking, “I am fully connected to God.” For which I will say, “Congrats, you are doing a good job and might be nearly done here.”
My wise friend, Randall Sampson, asked, “Can we trace the origins of reincarnation to our desire to live forever, or to our fear of dying?” Yes, I am quite certain. It makes me feel better to think I have a chance to do this again.
Near Death Experiences
No one really knows what happens after death. Those who have had NDE (near death experiences) or actual death experiences and are resuscitated or have come back to life, tell an interesting and consistent story about their experience. In an article written by P.M.H. Atwater, L.H.D., Ph.D. and Kevin Williams, about 50 NDE’s, when asked about their experience, respondents reported they experienced the following:
- Experiencing overwhelming love 69%
- Mental Telepathy 65%
- Life Review 62%
- Experiencing God 56%
- Tremendous ecstasy 56%
- Unlimited knowledge 46%
- Told not ready 46%
- Shown the future 44%
- Going through or up a tunnel 42%
- Experiencing Jesus 37%
If we use NDEs as evidence of what happens after death, we are still not given information about what happens after we leave our bodies, experience the life review, meet “beings of light,” and feel overwhelming love. These people have moved back into their bodies and reported the experience as living beings in the original body. NDEs do not give us evidence of reincarnation, only a consistent experience in the short time after this life concludes.
Reincarnation Research
While science cannot prove or disprove reincarnation, psychiatrist Ian Stevenson presented some interesting evidence that supports its existence. Stevenson conducted 2,500+ case studies over a period of 40 years involving young children from India, Europe and America, who claimed to have remembered, talked about, and played as if, they had lived in the past. He documented each child’s statements and identified the deceased person the child identified with. He, then, verified the facts of the deceased person’s life that matched the child’s memory. He also matched birthmarks and birth defects to wounds and scars on the deceased, verified by medical records such as autopsy photographs. His findings are remarkable.
You can read about his findings and see images in his book, Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects. While skeptics have argued his reports provide only anecdotal evidence, his data does seem to support the likelihood of reincarnation.
Belief Depends on Religious Orientation
When I searched to see how many people believe in reincarnation, the answers, ranging from 12% to 44%, were all over the board, depending on what country was being surveyed and the predominant religion of the country. Reincarnation is a central tenet of Indian religions, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Hinduism. There are sects of Judaism and Christianity that believe in reincarnation. It is an intrinsic part of many Native American religions.
The Buddhists refer to this idea as samsara, suffering-laden cycle of life, death, and rebirth, without beginning or end, with the ultimate goal of liberation from this cycle of existence, known as Nirvana. Buddhists focus on accumulating good karma (cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual influence the future of that individual) and acquiring merit to achieve a better reincarnation in the next life. Skeptic Carl Sagan asked the Dalai Lama what he would do if a fundamental tenet of his religion (reincarnation) were definitively disproved by science. The Dalai Lama answered, “If science can disprove reincarnation, Tibetan Buddhism would abandon reincarnation… but it’s going to be mighty hard to disprove reincarnation.”
Our Greek forefathers, Pythagoras, Socrates and Plato believed in reincarnation. Socrates said, “I am confident that there truly is such a thing as living again, that the living spring from the dead, and that the souls of the dead are in existence.”
As we live through thousands of dreams in our present life, so is our present life only one of many thousands of such lives which we enter from the other more real life… and then return after death. Our life is but one of the dreams of that more real life, and so it is endlessly, until the very last one, the very real life of God. — Leo Tolstoy
Ultimately, we need to run this idea through our own filter of truth. Does this ring true to you? Reincarnation is just as likely as the option of ceasing to exist or going to a heaven or hell. Here are the main categories of belief about what happens after death, followed by those religions that hold this belief in the majority. This list is not comprehensive or based on a direct study of any kind:
- We cease to exist; our energy, which cannot be created or destroyed, dissipates into the ethers (Atheists)
- We go to heaven, hell, or an “afterlife” (Majority of Christians, Islamists)
- Reincarnation, born again into another human body (Buddhists, Sikhism, several Native American and Inuit Tribes)
- Reincarnation, born again into another being, not necessarily human. (Hinduism)
- We go to a waiting place (a.k.a. Catholic concept of purgartory ) where our life is reviewed and then, we go to heaven or hell (Catholic)
- A combination of the above
You are free to believe whichever of these resonates with you or something completely different. The more I meditate, read, and study spirituality, the more certain I am of having lived many lives. I believe reincarnation as a human being on this planet is more likely true than any other option. Indeed, it is through many lives that we learn, grow, evolve and move up to the next level of spiritual growth. If we were limited to the small progress we make in the short 70-80 years of our lives, we would never get very far. Imagine if you had lived a reclusive life due to alcoholism and on your deathbed, realized you had really screwed this one up and irreparably hurt loved ones. You might hope you would have a chance to make it right in your next life. Otherwise, death would be excruciatingly sad for the dying and it doesn’t appear to be so.
Genius is experience. Some seem to think that it is a gift or talent, but it is the fruit of long experience in many lives.—Henry Ford
When we hear someone referred to as an “old soul” this implies that we also believe in the possibility of someone else being a “new soul.” Can you think of anyone who is an adult and acts like a child all the time? The “old soul” seems to have lived previous lives and brings subconscious wisdom beyond his or her years, to this life. A discussion about soul age is in a forthcoming post.
I believe through numerous lifetimes we have each been the perpetrator and the victim, the witch hunter and the witch, the slave owner and the slave. I am certain I have been male in some lives and female in other, all races, in many countries, depending on the goal of the lifetime. It is a wonder that we are not more compassionate beings, having experienced all the different combinations throughout time. Or are we? Perhaps it is based on a person’s soul level and how many lives they have lived. Some people are very compassionate. Could it be that they have lived within these same circumstances before?
Perhaps we go to a place where we are healed, purified (like purgatory) and rest in a heavenly environment for as long as necessary or desired. At some point, we can choose to come back (reincarnation) to learn more lessons or carry out a special mission—it is completely optional. I envision myself getting to the pearly gates and being asked if I will go back to earth to help sort out the mess. I reply, “Absolutely, bring it on. Let’s do this,” with willingness and enthusiasm.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what you believe. If you say “You only live once,” and that makes this life fuller and richer, that is wonderful.